Impact of a triage liaison physician on emergency department overcrowding and throughput: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Triage liaison physicians (TLPs) have been employed in overcrowded emergency departments (EDs); however, their effectiveness remains unclear.

Objectives: To evaluate the implementation of TLP shifts at an academic tertiary care adult ED using comprehensive outcome reporting.

Methods: A six-week TLP clinical research project was conducted between December 9, 2005, and February 9, 2006.